Warning as deadly ‘suitcase viruses' that destroy organs and trigger brain swelling spread across the UK and Europe

Scottish Sun

3 days ago

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DEADLY viruses could be making their way to the UK on planes and in holidaymakers' suitcases, experts warn.
They say international travel is fuelling a "concerning" rise in both chikungunya and oropouche, and the worst could be yet to come.
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Mosquitoes carrying potentially-deadly viruses could be making their way to the UK on planes
Credit: Getty
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There have been outbreaks of chikungunya and oropouche in countries like China, Brazil and Mauritius
Credit: Getty
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Lockdown measures and insecticide sprays are in force in some areas
Credit: Reuters
It comes against a backdrop of growing chikungunya outbreaks across the world, including a surge in cases in the UK.
And the first case of oropouche has been detected in the UK, in travellers from Brazil.
Simon Clarke, professor of cellular microbiology at the University of Reading, told The Sun: "As Brits develop more exotic tastes for travel to warmer places closer to the equator, we are increasingly likely to see unusual infections upon their return.
"While oropouche is mainly found in the Amazon and chikungunya in sub-tropical regions, they are spreading.
"Both have been detected in the United States and Europe, where sporadic outbreaks in France and Italy have occurred."
Paul Hunter, a professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, added: "There is a small risk of airport associated infections whereby infected mosquitoes arrive in the UK on board airplanes and then escape.
"The spread of any infection into a previously unexposed population is always a matter for concern."
Chikungunya is a virus spread by mosquito bites, the symptoms of which include a sudden fever and joint pain.
Most people recover within two weeks, but the joint pain can last for months or even years, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
In some cases, it is so bad it causes sufferers to "fold in half" or "become contorted" as they double over in agony.
Serious complications are not common, but in rare cases the disease can cause organ damage and be fatal, particularly in very young or older people, or those with underlying health conditions.
Oropouche virus
There have been 73 cases of chikungunya reported in England, primarily in London, between January and June 2025 - the highest number ever recorded.
This compares to 27 cases for the same period last year, according to data from the UK Health and Security Agency.
The majority were linked to travel to Sri Lanka, India and Mauritius.
There is currently no risk of onward transmission of chikungunya, as the two species of mosquito that transmit the disease are not established in the UK.
But Prof Hunter says: "The fact that locally-acquired infections are being reported from multiple locations this year is concerning.
"There will be several more weeks before the mosquito season starts to tail off [so it could get worse].
"We will almost certainly see more cases in the UK, but at least for a few decades, these are all likely to have been acquired overseas.
"Both chikungunya and oropouche can occasionally be fatal."
Experts fear cases could rise due to global travel and rising temperatures.
Prof Clarke said: "Chikungunya is spread by mosquitoes, one of which, the tiger mosquito, has been detected in the South East of England.
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"It's worth emphasising the negative impact that global warming may have on a resilience to infections like this, which we've always taken for granted in the UK.
"A warmer climate may mean that we have to take greater precautions at home against infections spread by insects."
Prof Hunter added: "We have seen local outbreaks of both dengue and chikungunya multiple times on the Mediterranean coasts of France, Italy and Spain over the past decade, and such events seem to be becoming more frequent.
"Chikungunya outbreaks are less common than dengue, but when we do see them, they tend to be big, at least in Italy."
Chikungunya can be a nasty disease and we're seeing a worrying increase in cases among travellers returning to the UK
Dr Philip Veal
Chikungunya mainly occurs in Africa and southern Asia, although cases have been reported in Europe and parts of North America.
This year, there have been outbreaks in the Americas and Asia, with surges on the Indian Ocean islands of Reunion, Mayotte and Mauritius.
More than 10,000 people have also been struck down in China since June 2025.
The majority of cases have been reported in Foshan, a city in the southern Guangdong province, where officials have since rolled out Covid-style lockdowns and been spraying insecticides in a desperate bid to stop the virus from spiralling out of control.
At least 12 other cities in the southern Guangdong province have also reported infections, as well as Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Since early 2025, there have been 240,000 cases and 90 deaths reported in 16 countries, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
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A patient with joint deformities after contracting chikungunya
Credit: SehatHub
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A doctor treats a chikungunya patient on Reunion island
Credit: AFP
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A staff member carries out mosquito eradication work in Changsha, China, in August 2025
Credit: Getty
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A worker sprays insecticide at a residential community in Foshan, China
Credit: Getty
Two chikungunya vaccines are approved for use in the UK and are available to buy after an assessment at a private travel clinic.
Travellers can stay safe by using insect repellent and covering their skin, especially at dawn and dusk.
'ESSENTIAL' PRECAUTIONS
Dr Philip Veal, consultant in public health at UKHSA, said: "Chikungunya can be a nasty disease and we're seeing a worrying increase in cases among travellers returning to the UK.
"While this mosquito-borne infection is rarely fatal, it can cause severe joint and muscle pain, headaches, sensitivity to light and skin rashes.
"Thankfully symptoms usually improve within a few weeks, but joint pain may last for months or longer.
"It is essential to take precautions against mosquito bites when travelling.
"Simple steps, such as using insect repellent, covering up your skin and sleeping under insecticide-treated bed nets can greatly reduce the risk."
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The UKHSA has also detected the first cases of oropouche in travellers coming to the UK from Brazil.
The flu-like illness can cause a fever, headaches, joint pain, muscle pain, chills, nausea and vomiting.
In serious cases, it can cause brain-swelling, specifically in the form of encephalitis and meningitis.
Officials are urging anyone who becomes unwell after travel to affected areas, including parts of Central and South America and the Caribbean, to seek urgent medical advice.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), before late 2023, oropouche was mostly reported near the Amazon rainforest area.
It was dubbed 'sloth fever' as it circulates between primates, sloths and birds before occasionally being passed to humans by midges and mosquitoes.
In 2024, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Guyana, Peru and the Dominican Republic reported locally transmitted cases of the disease.
Travel-related cases are now cropping up across Europe.
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Francois Balloux, professor of computational systems biology and director of the UCL Genetics Institute, specialising in infectious diseases, said: "There seems to have been a marked increase of both chikungunya and oropouche cases in the parts of the world where they're endemic.
"It is obviously a problem as both are unpleasant viruses.
"Neither could circulate in the UK as their vectors are absent, but travellers are being infected overseas and returning home.
"The number of cases in the UK could go up or down in the future."
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Insecticide fog in Colombo, Sri Lanka, to try to combat rising chikungunya cases
Credit: AFP
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Patients with chikungunya being treated in Reunion
Credit: AFP
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Insecticide being poured into a drone amid a city-wide clean-up in Guangzhou, China
Credit: Getty
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A woman covers her face from insecticide fog amid a chikungunya outbreak in Colombo, Sri Lanka
Credit: AFP
The first imported cases of oropouche were reported in Europe in June and July 2024.
There were 12 in Spain, five in Italy and two in Germany. All had a history of travel to Cuba or Brazil.
Direct human-to-human transmission of the virus has not been documented so far, according to the ECDC.
The prognosis for recovery is good and "fatal outcomes are extremely rare".
There are no vaccines to prevent or specific medication to treat oropouche.
The UKHSA report also shows a rise in travel-associated cholera cases in the UK, with eight cases in the first half of the year compared to just one in 2024.
Most cases were linked with travel to India and Ethiopia.
There was also a 67 per cent decrease in the number of dengue cases reported in England, Wales and Northern Ireland from January to June, and there were just four cases of zika virus during the period, down from nine in 2024.
Oropouche virus: Everything you need to know
Oropouche is a disease caused by Oropouche virus.
It is spread through the bites of infected midges (small flies) and mosquitoes.
Symptoms ARE similar to dengue and include: a headache, fever, muscle aches, stiff joints, nausea, vomiting, chills, or sensitivity to light.
Severe cases may result in brain diseases such as meningitis.
Symptoms typically start four to eight days after being bitten and last three to six days.
Most people recover without long-term effects. There are no specific medications or vaccines available.
Travellers heading to affected areas should take steps to avoid bug bites.
The virus is endemic in many South American countries, in both rural and urban communities.
Outbreaks are periodically reported in Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Panama, Peru, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Wear tops with long sleeves and long trousers, apply insect repellent regularly, and sleep under a mosquito net if you are not in enclosed, air-conditioned accommodation.
Source: US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention
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A laboratory technician doing screening tests during the chikungunya epidemic in Reunion
Credit: AFP
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A health worker fumigates against disease-carrying mosquitoes in Contagem, Brazil
Credit: AFP
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France's President Emmanuel Macron visiting French military fighting against chikungunya in Reunion
Credit: AFP
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More fumigation efforts in Contagem, Brazil
Credit: AFP